Hi and thanks for visiting the best Ravens forum on the planet. You do not have to be a member to browse the various forums, but in order to post and interact with your purple brethren, you will have to **register**. It only takes a couple of minutes. You can also use your Facebook account to log in....just click on the blue 'FConnect' link at the very top of the page.

Quick Late-March 7 Round Ravens Mock Draft

Here's a quick 7 round mock draft I dreamed up for the Ravens now that we're past the Combine and the first few weeks of free agency.

1. (32) - Matt Elam, S, Florida - Could the Ravens trade back a few spots and still get Elam? Possibly, but he could be on San Francisco's radar at #34 overall, so I'm hesitant to mock the Ravens to trade back. No matter what the Ravens do at one safety spot--whether they sign a FA or a 2012 backup like Thompson or Ihedigbo steps in--they need another safety, and Elam can play strong or free at a very high level. He is a playmaker, plain and simple, and flourished in a pro-style Florida defense that was quietly among the best (if not THE best) in the SEC last year, and Elam was their best player--even better than Shariff Floyd, a top-5 lock. Elam has great instincts and range as a deep-zone safety but also flourishes in man coverage in the slot and against TEs. He plays like a Raven and needs to be on this team next year.

2. (62) - Khaseem Greene, ILB, Rutgers - If Greene drops this far, he's a lock to be among the BPA and the best ILB available. A tremendous leader on and off the field, Greene was the heart and soul of a surprisingly stout Rutgers defense in 2012. A converted DB, he projects to be possibly the draft's best overall coverage LB not named Ogletree or Brown, and he has a physicality and playmaking edge that those two--nor any of the other top ILB prospects in this class--don't possess. Nobody can fill Ray Lewis' shoes, but the closest we're going to get in this draft is Khaseem Greene.

3. (88 - TRADE UP with Packers for Ravens' 3rd and 5th round picks) - Da'Rick Rogers, WR, Tennessee Tech - I'm projecting a trade up here, but moreso because I believe the Ravens will move up at least once in the 2nd or 3rd rounds. I don't definitely think it will come here, but somewhere in the top 100 the Ravens are going to see someone they like slide a little and they're going to make a move. I think they could make a move for Rogers because based on pure talent alone, he has no business being around in the 3rd round at all. On tape he is a late-1st early 2nd caliber talent, and I may be too optimistic slotting him as low as #88. Rogers is a freakish, explosive physical talent with Julio Jones-level upside, and he would likely be an immediate starter in 2013 for the Ravens.

4. (119 - TRADE UP with Redskins for Ravens' 4th and 6th round picks) - Alvin Bailey, G, Arkansas - Projecting another trade involving these picks, don't know if it will really happen. This may seem like an odd pick, but I'm accepting the reality that the Ravens will likely plug Osemele and Oher into the two OT spots next year. Nobody available at OT in this mock is really a very good prospect either short-term or long-term, but Alvin Bailey is a GREAT guard prospect. He could absolutely compete to start at LG immediately and is a great fit in either a zone or man-blocking scheme. Powerful, technically sound, and with excellent foot speed and quickness, Bailey could be another Marshal Yanda.

4. (130) - Tony Jefferson, S, Oklahoma - If the Ravens don't fill a safety spot in free agency, they have very little depth at the position in 2013 and even less in 2014. Jefferson is talented, but inconsistency could drive him down to this spot. The two safety spots for 2013 would likely come down to a four-way competition between Thompson, Ihedigbo, Elam, and Jefferson; starting two rookie safeties seems to be a bit too much, but by 2014 Elam and Jefferson could easily be the Ravens' starting safety tandem.

5. (168) - Joseph Fauria, TE, UCLA - The Ravens need a 3rd TE, and Fauria is a good value here. He's not much of a blocker at this point, but he has coachable tools to improve to at least an acceptable level, and his upside is far higher than a more conventional 3rd/blocking TE like Michael Williams or Nick Kasa. 6'6 260 with adequate speed and good body control, Fauria is already a proficient red-zone weapon but must improve his route running.

6. (200) - Kyle Juszczyk, FB/HB/TE, Harvard - The Ravens get their 2013 fullback. He's a fairly big downgrade as a road-grading run blocker, but an athletic upgrade who should offer more than Leach in the passing game. Primarily an H-back and TE at Harvard, his extremely soft hands made him Harvard's all-time TE receptions leader, and he demonstrated solid lead-blocking ability at the Senior Bowl.

6. (203) - Eric Martin, OLB, Nebraska - Martin is a versatile defender who is a little light to play rush LB in the NFL, but should offer special teams value early in his career, and eventually blossom into at least a nickel rush option.

7. (238) - Dalton Freeman, C, Clemson - The Ravens need to add another player to the roster for 2013 who has experience snapping the football. Freeman is a good value here and a nice fit for the ZBS. He's a very good athlete at 6'4 295 who lacks power, but if nothing else he will be an asset in the OL room with his smarts.

Re: Quick Late-March 7 Round Ravens Mock Draft

I like it, but you haven't addressed left tackle and have drafted a guard. Are you assuming ko is left tackle and bailey starts, or what?

I love Greene and I have him rated as my third choice MLB. Elam plays like a raven. They are my. Second 1 and 2 picks to brown and armstead, who I have as my number one choice for one and two currently.

Re: Quick Late-March 7 Round Ravens Mock Draft

Originally Posted by arnie_uk

I like it, but you haven't addressed left tackle and have drafted a guard. Are you assuming ko is left tackle and bailey starts, or what?

I love Greene and I have him rated as my third choice MLB. Elam plays like a raven. They are my. Second 1 and 2 picks to brown and armstead, who I have as my number one choice for one and two currently.

Yes, as I mentioned in the Bailey pick, I think the Ravens' starting OTs next year are Osemele and Oher. I don't know which is which, there's been some smoke arising lately that Osemele may be seen as the LT of the future, and we know they like Oher at LT and would have played him at LT in the playoffs if Reid didn't hurt his toe.

I know Oher and Osemele at OT scares people, it scares me a little bit, but they can scheme around it if the interior OL is strong. That's why I mocked a new LG of the future in Bailey.

Re: Quick Late-March 7 Round Ravens Mock Draft

I know Oher and Osemele at OT scares people, it scares me a little bit, but they can scheme around it if the interior OL is strong. That's why I mocked a new LG of the future in Bailey.

Without Osemele I don't see the interior OL being strong. In this scenario you've got Yanda and two unproven 4th rounders as your interior OL. You've also probably got sub-par play at LT.

I almost feel like we'd be better off accepting mediocre LT play as long as we were reasonably confident in the other 4 spots (exceedingly confident at both guard positions). Obviously that's not ideal, but if they can't find a good LT solution in FA or the draft I don't see any solution that's better.

Re: Quick Late-March 7 Round Ravens Mock Draft

Without Osemele I don't see the interior OL being strong. In this scenario you've got Yanda and two unproven 4th rounders as your interior OL. You've also probably got sub-par play at LT.

I almost feel like we'd be better off accepting mediocre LT play as long as we were reasonably confident in the other 4 spots (exceedingly confident at both guard positions). Obviously that's not ideal, but if they can't find a good LT solution in FA or the draft I don't see any solution that's better.

But who's going to provide that mediocre LT play? If it's Oher, and you leave Osemele at LG, this team has no RT--I think the ship has sailed on Jah Reid at RT--and that's not an option. If it's Osemele at LT, then you have an obvious hole at LG. I really do not see them going out and getting a stopgap LT, and I didn't have an OT option available that I rated better than Alvin Bailey at that spot.

Osemele had a very good 4-game run at LG, but he's not irreplaceable, particularly not if the team feels he can be a good starting LT or RT. OT has a much higher positional value than guard. The lineup of Osemele/Oher-Bailey-Gradkowski-Yanda-Osemele/Oher is the best one the team had available in my scenario and I envision the actual 2013 OL looking something like that. Again, remember that McKinnie would have never played in 2012 if not for Jah Reid's toe injury.

Re: Quick Late-March 7 Round Ravens Mock Draft

I meant ???-KO-Gradkowski-Yanda-Oher

??? = stop gap vet or draft pick or whatever

It's very much not ideal, but I think it's better than pulling Oher and Osemele out of their natural positions and having weaknesses at 2 or 3 spots instead of just one. I don't see either of them playing well at LT.

Re: Quick Late-March 7 Round Ravens Mock Draft

Originally Posted by Kyle Cactus

I meant ???-KO-Gradkowski-Yanda-Oher

??? = stop gap vet or draft pick or whatever

It's very much not ideal, but I think it's better than pulling Oher and Osemele out of their natural positions and having weaknesses at 2 or 3 spots instead of just one. I don't see either of them playing well at LT.

I don't see the Ravens going out after a stop gap vet for LT. They've tried that enough and there's nothing out there; McKinnie is the only LT out there in free agency and I really don't think he'll be back, nor is he really all that good anyway as an all-year option. In the draft, outside of the big 3 LTs (Joeckel/Fisher/Johnson), there are no day-1 starters at LT that will be available for the Ravens to draft.

Sure, they could spend a 2nd rounder on Terron Armstead or a 3rd rounder on Quessenberry, but those guys are raw and no sure thing. Are they REALLY that much better than Oher or Osemele, and are they better prospects overall than the guys I selected in my mock above? I don't think they are in either respect. I get that Osemele really impressed at LG in the playoffs and moving him might be difficult, but let's be real here; if the coaching staff feels KO can play OT at a high level, then he should play there and not at LG.

Tackle is just so much more important than guard. Remember that KO played quite a few good games at RT as well, he just needs to get more consistent at the position. (Also, you say putting Osemele at OT would be pulling him out of his natural position, but he played RT through all of training camp and LT throughout his entire college career.)

Re: Quick Late-March 7 Round Ravens Mock Draft

Always enjoy your stuff bmore, even though I disagree with your opinions on Ngata and Suggs some of the time, you pretty much nail it with these types of things. Anything with Matt Elam involved is good to me.

I personally prefer Josh Evans out of Florida to Jefferson if we end up doubling up on safeties.

Re: Quick Late-March 7 Round Ravens Mock Draft

Originally Posted by leachisabeast

Always enjoy your stuff bmore, even though I disagree with your opinions on Ngata and Suggs some of the time, you pretty much nail it with these types of things. Anything with Matt Elam involved is good to me.

I personally prefer Josh Evans out of Florida to Jefferson if we end up doubling up on safeties.

Thanks man! I appreciate it! I actually struggled to decide between Evans and Jefferson. I do like both of them, and it would be cool to pair Evans up with Elam, but I went with Jefferson because I think he has just a little bit more upside as a ballhawk type of free safety (Evans didn't really stand out with his ability to make plays on the ball based on the tape I saw). They are both good players, and another safety I like in the mid/late rounds is Earl Wolff.

Re: Quick Late-March 7 Round Ravens Mock Draft

Originally Posted by bmorecareful

I get that Osemele really impressed at LG in the playoffs and moving him might be difficult, but let's be real here; if the coaching staff feels KO can play OT at a high level, then he should play there and not at LG.

Agreed. I guess I'm just not convinced that he'd play at a high level at LT. Maybe RT eventually, but then your talking about moving Oher back to LT. I think we'd be better off with McKinnie.

Originally Posted by bmorecareful

Also, you say putting Osemele at OT would be pulling him out of his natural position, but he played RT through all of training camp and LT throughout his entire college career.

Natural position in the sense that he was clearly at his best at guard. Plus, just because he played LT in college doesn't mean he's suited to it in the pros.

If Juan Castillo thinks he can work there, he obviously knows better than I do. But otherwise, I don't see him as being successful at the LT position.

Re: Quick Late-March 7 Round Ravens Mock Draft

I think they will move KO to LT if they don't resign McKinnie. I know that everyone expects them to simply move Oher back to LT, but who actually expected us to go after a big name like Dumervil this offseason? I think they surprise us a bit, and realize that if they play Oher at RT, they have a better shot at resigning him because they can pay him RT money, and also if you think they love Oher (which they obviously do) I think they may love KO a bit more whenever I listen to Harbaugh and Ozzie talk about the Oline. So if that happens, they will probably draft a guard, and have said guard compete with Jah Reid at left guard.

It's also interesting to note (we shouldn't always read too much into these reports, but more times than not, it does mean they have a lot of interest in said player), that we have had DJ Fluker in for a private workout. He is the typical type of player that the Ravens like in an Olineman, because he is really versatile, and plays with a mean streak. DJ Fluker is almost certainly a guard at the next level IMO, and he could be a very very good one in a power man blocking scheme (which we will likely run out of almost 100 % of the time in 2013 with the addition of Juan Castillo who was always a huge believer in the traditional blocking schemes).

Re: Quick Late-March 7 Round Ravens Mock Draft

If we're going OL later in the draft, I'd keep an eye on Chris Faulk and Rogers Gaines.

Faulk was good LT at LSU before getting injured. Gaines looks to be a very late round project, but has MASSIVE arm length, which is a key factor in Filmstudy's analysis of our issues with finding a LT. Gaines is a guy that will likely go in 6th or 7th round, but has a pretty decent shot of developing into a LT.

A plan that involves McKinnie at LT this year, maybe next year, and then Gaines at LT whenever he's ready, with Castillo to mentor him...might not be the worst plan...

.
.
“When I think of a Baltimore Raven - we go in there, we take your lunch box, we take your sandwich, we take your juice box, we take your applesauce, and we take your spork and we break it. And we leave you with an empty lunch. That’s the Baltimore Raven way.” - Steve Smith Sr.